Mean (song)
For the lyrics see Mean (lyrics) "Mean" is a country song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was solely written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. It was released on October 19, 2010 by Big Machine Records as a promotional single from Swift's third studio album, Speak Now. "Mean" is heavy on fiddle and banjo and "the most country-sounding thing" Swift has ever done according to Nathan Chapman. The song garnered critical acclaim for its lyrical detail and country sounding. "Mean" had successful commercial outcomes in the United States, charting at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Digital Songs Chart with 163,000 downloads. It is unknown who the song is about, although some argue that it is about the Internet group Anonymous. Hidden message Hidden message: I thought you got me. It is rumored that Taylor Swift wrote ‘Mean’ in response to scathing reviews by infamous blogger Bob Lefsetz, who wrote poorly of Swift in the Lefsetz Letter about her performance with Stevie Nicks in the 2010’s Grammy Awards. Synopsis The video begins with Swift and her band playing a banjo, all dressed in vintage-inspired clothes. The stage is set up like a front yard of a farmhouse. Then, Swift is shown being tied to the tracks by a villain, similar to the song's artwork. The villain and his friend laugh as she sits there helpless. But later in the song she escapes as the two people sleep, drunk and tired. However, Swift and the others are hardly the only victims in the video. A montage of Swift plucking away at her banjo is shown alternately throughout the video with scenes of a boy being bullied while reading a fashion magazine in a locker room by the football team, and a girl, wearing a fast-food uniform, who is being made fun of by her peers with her job promotion. Another cut-scene shows a girl who was not welcomed by the girls to sit with the popular clique at lunch, and had to eat lonely in the girls' washroom. The next scene shows that the stage is transformed into a bright and ritzy stage, with the singer all dazzled up in a sparkly flapper gown performing in the big leagues. After the bridge of the song, it is revealed that the boy reading the fashion magazine is now a famous fashion designer; the fast food girl saves up for college and is a big-time executive. The final scene shows the other girl sitting as an audience watching and applauding as Swift finishes performing. Background Reception Commercial reception "Mean" debut at number eleven and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Digital Songs Chart consecutively, with approximately 163,000 downloads. Critical reception According to Thomas Conner of Chicago Sun-Times, "Mean" points a matronly finger at her critics. Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly said that it is a nice touch and it brings a sincerity to her pain and lets you focus on the words, which do, near the end, turn cheeky, proving she handles it with a sense of humor. Cover versions * Country singer Danielle Bradbury sang this song at her blind audition for season 4 of The Voice. * It was covered on the popular Fox show Glee in the episode "Props". Awards and nominations "Mean" has received 5 awards from 10 nominations. References External link * Taylor Swift's Official website has a page about this song. Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift Category:2010 songs Category:Speak Now songs